compare & contrast

Srika Prathipati

28 May 2007

Compare and Contrast

The Fast Food Nation written by Eric Schlosser and The Jungle written by Upton Sinclair , are books that deal with the fast food culture and the conditions under which the meat is slaughtered and packed . Both these books give a shocking insight on the reality behind the scenes , and how it is hidden from the public

The Jungle is the story of a family who migrates to America from Lithuania , and is forced to work in the slaughterhouses of Chicago to meet

their daily expenses . The meatpacking plant were the whole family works , is a place were the workers are paid less wages , overworked and exposed to such working conditions which are not fair towards the labor and the working surroundings very also very dangerous . The neighborhood area of the slaughterhouse is filled with poverty and dirt , with the boarding houses filled with rats , a blazing trash dump on one end , and a big sewage ditch on the other end

All the members working in the slaughterhouses see the shocking dirt in the plants where the meat is being processed and the disgusting secrets of packing the meat . It is unbelievable but cattle and other animals having various diseases are also processed for eating (Chpt 3 . Even cows that are pregnant and their fetuses are also used for consuming . The sausages and hotdogs were prepared by using a casual combination of dirt , remains of rats , animal parts and any other mess picked up from the floor . There is even one incident when a man working there mistakenly tumbles into a container and ends up being grounded and turned into fat . The fraud and the bribery in these plants are in full swing with bosses demanding bribe and other gifts from the workers (Chpt 5

This book also tries to shed some light on the plight of the workers when they are asked to work the whole day even when work is less , but not paid for the day . It also shows the fraud and the corruption that takes place in the government and gives the views of the main character when he joins a socialistic party (Chpt 8

In Fast Food Nation Eric Schlosser also discusses about the meatpacking conditions , but the major part of discussion is about the fast food industry , and how this industry is industries for its hamburgers . There isn 't much improvement in the conditions in the meatpacking industries in the last 100 years . The company does not guarantee the responsibility for the safety of the workers , reasonable wages and food poisoning . The companies opposed the government regulation that called for microbial testing as a part of the inspection of the meat , as it would reveal the truth and reduce their gains

This book researches on different fast food chains like McDonald 's and Carl 's , which have a great influence on the American culture and the culture of other countries as well . Schlosser explains how the fast...